


Reaching

by priestfucker



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types
Genre: Gay, M/M, Slow Burn, this shit gets as gay as i could make it and its a little dramatic i have nothing to say for myself
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-11
Updated: 2020-01-11
Packaged: 2021-02-19 06:49:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,486
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22206904
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/priestfucker/pseuds/priestfucker
Summary: What if Raihan has been in love with Leon for years, and on the day he finally decides to confess, Leon beats him to the punch?
Relationships: Dande | Leon & Kibana | Raihan
Kudos: 15





	Reaching

If life was a competition would it be alright to struggle against the competition itself? For example, if a person had to compete against someone who will always be one step ahead of him. Would it be alright to simply toss the competition away? Desecrated. Would that be correct, and is it wrong to be tired of running behind him, reaching one’s hand only to never grab a hold. 

Raihan yet again woke up in the middle of the night to this thought. The mental image of Leon moving on with his life and leaving him behind. This terrifying thought struck through him like thunder. A love like pain.

His eyes turned nervously toward the clock beside his bed. Three a clock. It was almost always at this hour that the world would decide to stop for him. Perhaps due to anxiety itself that he was attacked by this. Lately, since the raise of a new kid trying to be champion, Leon had began showing a few signs of anxiety toward them. 

They both didn’t quite know the kid but they did know that there was more that met the eye about them. And it showed. For as soon as they began seriously challenging gyms, they smashed through them like a hawk. Current events did not hold them back either. Both Leon and Raihan knew this was for real and that it was time to put their hearts into the matter. Pokémon fights were no joke. The honor a title held for each individual gym leader, and member of the elite 4 was everything for them. 

Admiration led most of Raihan’s actions. Well, not entirely. Perhaps anger led some of it. Being one of the people most hell bent on beating Leon before anyone else. Though he rarely allowed it to show. He wanted this upper hand. To beat him, and to speak the truth. To be able to reach championship like this. After ten attempts though, not much came of that. 

Though Raihan held the title for the first person to ever corner Leon in a Pokémon battle, no one had yet beat him. The champion who had no intention of being one from the start. Though his sense of direction left much to be desired he was an admirable individual with nearly no defects. Always looking up to the next day. To the next fight. To his next meeting with Raihan on the battlefield. Their feelings always showed most in these situations, meeting eye to eye and hand to hand. Through their Pokémon it became obvious that what beheld the eye was a minor reflection of what truly slept within them. 

Every defeat was met with optimism. Next time! Raihan would exclaim. Next time you will be mine! And the next time, he was defeated once again. And once again he’d begin having these dreams. 

Leon, walking away into the light. Leaving Raihan behind to stagnate. Was this truly admiration? What did Raihan truly wish for, he wondered. While laying in bed under a cover of darkness his head became unbearable to exist in. 

So Raihan stood. The bedroom lacked occupation of space. A side of it remained nearly empty, the other side was littered with photographs of himself, and his Pokémon- As well as victories. The living room was just as large, and half empty. The kitchen exposed the same nature. Used and loved, but never quite fulfilled. Then he ate. It wasn’t much to peak any interest from his Pokémon. Just a bagel and some coffee. Raihan had given up on sleeping after just an hour.

It must have been around 4 in the morning. Unsure of the time, Raihan reached for his Rotom Phone, staring at it as if it was taking ages to show him the time. It wasn’t. He was simply too tired to be able to define the time just yet. His brain was on slow mode. 

Well of course the first news to scroll through his eyes was the sudden uprising of this particular Pokémon trainer. He’d noticed their rapid growth. But to nearly reach the Elite 4 this fast. Something inside him turned. The image of this child beating Leon suddenly crossed his mind. And a random surge of anger plagued Raihan. Was that thought truly so horrible. Who Knew. Only Raihan did. It was too soon. Was Leon going to be beaten by this kid? He held no grudges. But at the same time, it was too soon. 

Raihan’s internal repetition began to frustrate him. Whatever. Raihan put Rotom Phone down and laid back on the chair in his living room. A large apartment, for him and large Pokémon. A lonely apartment. Fit for a second person to live in. A double bed, fitting for two people. A double cushion couch, to fit two people. A large table. Double the dishes. Double blankets. Double pillows. Double cups. Matching mugs. A mental image crossed his mind for a second. And in his embarrassment, Raihan accidentally shoved Rotom phone down the table. It was alright, but he apologized profusely to it. Though it didn’t seem to mind at all. 

Internalizing his frustration a little, Raihan stood from the kitchen and approached the fridge. There wasn’t anything to eat outside of that one bagel. And he’d been hungry for a while now. Taking Rotom Phone and his keys, a single Pokeball just encase, he reached for the door. Something stopped him as soon as he reached for the doorknob however. It had just crossed his mind. It was about 4 in the morning now, was there even a shop open at that time? 

There was, in fact, one 24/7 Pokestore open at that hour. It would be a short jog to reach it. That was fine. Crime wasn’t very spoken about in Galar anyway. So Raihan felt confident going out carrying only Charizard’s pokeball inside one of his pockets. If anyone attempted anything. They’d be his breakfast. Certainly though, nothing happened on the way to the store. That was a relief. If anyone were to see him buying instant ramen and chips at 4 in the morning well. His image of being perfect might be ... affected. Maybe. He wasn’t really going for perfection, but he wasn’t trying to look troubled, either. 

That was ruined when, on the way back, he ran into none other than Leon, who similarly looked a little dead inside. Not in any extreme way. It was simply almost dawn. And they shared a knowing look. Leon looked up and noticed who was walking right in front of him. It became immediately awkward, with Raihan sharing a bright smile toward him. It felt like being pelted by the sudden illumination of the sun. But Raihan still attempted to hold a cheerful demeanor toward his old friend. 

And though they both stopped to talk for a little. Neither could get a word out. The dawn was coming closer now. Raihan looked at the phone and blinked slowly. It was 4:43 AM. Nearing the time he was originally meant to get up at. He and Leon had chosen to both lean on a fence beside them. Contemplating side by side in silence made it even harder to say anything. The mountain of feelings shared between them held back by fears. Fears of what? Rejection perhaps. Raihan personally continued to mull over whether to speak of this new trainer Leon was sure to have taken notice of by now. Or to take the cold approach of commenting on the freezing weather. Perhaps of the fearsome battles that awaited them. Perhaps of himself. 

Or rather, whatever it was that kept Leon so speechless in his presence. They’d been encouraged before to just talk, but never had they taken the chance to do so before. And now away from the peering eye, sharing this moment in the break of dawn, they didn’t know how to. And though Raihan had something to say, clearly, he didn’t dare to.

Instead, he finally chose to break the silence. 

\- Why are you even doing all the way here, Leon? - His mocking language meant to be friendly. Leon’s expression didn’t change. In fact he didn’t turn to look at Raihan. It wasn’t avoidance, he was seemingly lost in thought. And though Raihan became worried for a second, Leon smiled at him. The sun once again, illuminating him. 

From their very small talk, Raihan was able to deduct that Leon had just been trying to go on a walk on his own, but then got lost. And ended up near Leon’s apartment. And since he couldn’t figure out which one it was, he started to walk to the nearest store in order to ask for a map. And then got lost, again. Raihan wished he’d been able to burst out laughing. And internally, he did. This man, Leon, he was an interesting person. Always inspiring to others, always holding others before himself. He was a good man. And Raihan. At times. Wished he’d been able to wrap his hands around him, like a firefly. To keep this all to himself. The blessing that was Leon. 

Obviously, that was impossible. 

Being a reasonable person came with a price. Raihan thought to himself. This sucks. And though he had to internalize another frustration, the topic of this sudden newbie struck a chord in Raihan. Leon expressed feeling slightly nervous about them. A child capable of mowing through 7 of the 8 gym leaders required to enter the elite 4 competition. Raihan didn’t feel too worried. Most of the time though the combatants were capable of gathering most medals or all of them, beating Leon was simply impossible up to this point. He was an incredible strategist. And Raihan respected him for it. 

They shared strategies, advice. They shared concerns. Small talk became a full blown conversation. On the state of their land. The state of the gyms, the other leaders, how they both admired but also feared Nessa for being able to hold her breath under water for far too long. Their intrigue about Applin as a Pokémon. It was fun. It was fulfilling. The time they shared in conversation was just as completing as the time they shared in silence. Many emotions shot through Raihan every single time he watched a smile form in Leon’s face. Again, a love like pain shocked through his body like thunder. But nothing about himself gave this away. Nearing being unbearable.

The conversation slowly began to die down after a while. They simply ran out of things to talk about, as they saw each other all the time, there wasn’t that much to catch up on in the first place. This caused the stillness of the valley to start giving way to the obviousness of their closeness. 

Something about Leon simply caught Raihan’s eyes every time they locked sight during conversation. And now in the quietness. The way their eyes met for a second became different. Nothing was holding them back, and there were no titles hanging up above their heads. They were just Raihan and Leon, sitting side by side the rising sun. Two old friends who knew each other rather well. Who had fought side by side or against one another. A single thought did cross through Raihan’s mind. His expression shifted. No longer relaxed. No disgrace in his desire. But instead of acting on it, Leon opened his mouth. 

\- Do you think we can talk like this, the night before the kid reaches me? - His tone wasn’t that of a joke. Raihan didn’t know what to answer to that. Other than giving him a firm nod. The very thought of such a simple child even Reaching Leon, this for some reason filled Raihan’s chest with a sensation of thorns within it. Harboring resent. Was this going to be it for the unbeatable champion? Would he be to lose against him? What was the point of struggling against it if someone so much younger than him would reach his goal before he ever could? 

Raihan’s chest felt as if filled with lead. A voice in his head screamed to not give up. To challenge him one last time. Struggle against it, it yelled. But Raihan chose to remain quiet. And face up to what was to come. He wouldn’t lose the gym, his fans adored him. But this adoration and vanity meant nothing if Leon wasn’t the one looking at him. Again, he felt it. Always reaching for him, never to quite make it. 

Leon being defeated? Disgraceful.

The night before that could ever happen, they’d meet. And talk. Though, at the moment, he also made a mental note to meet with Leon at his place before they set out. As Leon had a fame for getting lost. Not like it hadn’t been established before. Raihan was simply reaching for things to hold on to mentally. For now. He got up from the fence and towered once again over Leon. Finally becoming aware of their physical differences. 

For a second there, Raihan nearly betrayed himself. Not quite sure of why. But his hand had just reached for Leon’s face. And immediately played it off as there being a crumble of bread on his face. There wasn’t any, obviously. Raihan simply pocketed his own hand. It trembled violently inside it. But he didn’t do anything. Leon seemed confused but laughed along. Aloof and uncaring. Truthfully, he just wasn’t aware of any intentions held by Raihan. Perhaps. 

And though they nearly choked each other in their own feelings, they moved on. Toward the next day. 

DISGRACE.

Leon fell quickly, the battle lasted a bearable amount of time. His loss wasn’t taken too lowly, this was simply part of a trainer moving on to beat the elite 4. But Leon? 

Leon was a completely different story. 

Leon was unbeatable, unreachable! This couldn’t be, and yet it was. His hero, the man he looked up to for most of his life, laid there, beaten. Holding his fainted Charizard, he didn’t seem depressed. In fact, after returning his old friend to its pokeball, he celebrated his defeat in good faith. And thanked the new champion for the greatest battle of his life. As though up till this point, no one had ever given him a greater challenge. His cap flew off with the wind of a sandstorm. His smile shone bright. His stance as bright and powerful as it had always been- Or perhaps even moreso now than ever. Raihan felt himself about to break down toward the pressure and distress.

On one hand, his new little friend had won championship at the tender age of 14. On another, Leon was no longer unbeatable. Brought down to the same level of every gym leader and former champion. The light of the tunnel he always walked toward had been shut off. And for once in his life. Raihan felt like he could finally reach him. And he did. This time his hand held on to Leon’s cape as he was leaving the stadium. 

\- You’re just going to allow this ?! - Raihan exclaimed passionately. 

\- Yes, they won fair and square. It was fun while it lasted, don’t you think it was about time? - Leon looked quite the spirited man. Not a single thing about him spoke of disappointment. There wasn’t an ounce of the earned ego he should have carried all along. 

Raihan’s endless struggle for him meant nothing. For in the end, Leon was happy. He was grateful for the admiration of his fans, he was grateful for every single fight. Leon found happiness. And it wasn’t in being a champion. Raihan had simply failed to understand him this whole time. Raihan was right that Leon in some ways, felt unreachable. A goal simply. A concept. Perhaps at times reduced as a person to a title. But he’d never truly be undefeated, that was just not how things worked. In reality, what Leon appreciated the most, out of everything, was that this was an excuse to see Raihan nearly every day.

\- It’s not fair. - Raihan protested. 

\- What isn’t? - This counter question held Raihan aback. 

He thought about a reply. And to this moment had not noticed that though his hand continued to grip on the end of Leon’s cape, he was now facing him. Eyes meeting. Not a single word about the previous night spoken. 

\- What isn’t fair about this? - Insisted Leon. And this time Raihan’s expression fell into one of resent. 

\- That was me supposed to beat you! - Though Raihan was in no way a sore loser, he was angry this time. - This wasn’t supposed to happen like this. - Raihan added, attempting to look away. But by this time, Leon’s hand had already taken a grip on his chin. Raihan towered above him, yet somehow it was Leon’s turn to make him look into his eyes. 

\- Don’t you think that this is liberating? - A simple, playful question, followed by an honest grin. Anything. He’d have given anything to be in the same position as Raihan and his brother. Both desperate to reach out for him. Both desperate to catch up. The nature of their actions were completely different but by this point Leon understood how they felt. It wasn’t intentional aloofness. 

“A boy who can’t confess his feelings is worthless.” This was a phrase Raihan overheard a long time ago as a child. Some girls were discussing love affairs and this came sometimes. And thus, being unable to confess what he truly felt, he felt worthless. Next battle I’ll say it, he told himself. And then he lost against Leon again. The cycle continued. In a circle. Without balance. Without reason. And thus he felt worthless over and over. Always falling farther behind Leon. So this time, as the pinnacle of emotional breakdown, he decided that, if Leon remained undefeated, he’d speak up. 

Otherwise he’d simply stay by his side, and accompany him on the path of regaining championship, or doing anything he felt like doing. Instead, he was now being made look into Leon’s eyes. 

Their unspoken feelings were blooming. As if the night sky struggling against the light of the sun Raihan attempted to fight the feeling of being cornered that Leon had put him in. Their positions were completely wrong, their lips locking together felt right though. And that is when he was beaten to the punch of this affair in one single gesture. What Leon wanted to be free from, that was what this meant. 

Leon wanted to be seen as a man Raihan could love, not as a concept to achieve and own. And for once, Raihan understood. They didn’t need to speak in order to understand each other anymore. And Leon had no intention to ask Raihan to reciprocate his feelings. But he did in the form of an embrace. They could barely breathe in this position. It was alright. Things would be alright now. They shared the same space and breathed the same air. Raihan had finally reached him. And had now realized that Leon had always been reaching for him as well. 

Being beaten to the punch with such a gesture stung a little. But he didn’t mind. At least, this wasn’t a pointless well of emotion built in over a decade just to be trampled. He was happy, and touched Leon’s face with an expression that screamed endearment. Only to once again be beaten in his own game. Leon was grinning hardheartedly as well. 

\- I’ve been in love with you this whole time, fool. - Said Leon, a solid smile on his face. Raihan’s mouth remained open and agape. He felt like a Magikarp, gasping for air uselessly on the ground. Foiled once again! In such a tender moment too! But this made Raihan give up the tension on his shoulders. Laying his head on Leon’s shoulder for a second. Raihan let out a loud sigh and smiled. - Are you alright? - Asked Leon without ill intention. Oddly this just made Raihan laugh gently. 

\- I’m better than ever. Truly. - With this said, Raihan let go of Leon’s hips and moved away slightly. Only to sigh loudly. - I feel better than ever, actually! - He yelled with a hearty laugh. Leon could only smile at his reaction. His face was visibly darker than ever, a strong blush covering it. He thought it was endearing. Raihan could not stop thinking now. 

In no time at all, there would be someone sharing his double bed. Someone would steal the extra blanket. Someone would use that clean, extra matching mug. In no time they would be bickering about the towels. His life would simply have an extra person in it, that person would be Leon, and everything would be alright from now on. 

No longer to fill a void. But to share a life that was already full from the start.

.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much to one of my alltime favorite artists for this oportunity to write for you, sorry I took so long! ♥


End file.
